Bittersweet
by Lady Itachi
Summary: Jiraiya & Tsunade's final moments together, falls in line with the cannon of Shippuden ep 126. One shot, please r


It's midday as Jiraiya and Tsunade take the shelter of a booth at Shushuya. She swigs sake straight from the bottle and sinks slowly into inebriation as he speaks casually about the Hidden Rain Village and the Akatsuki. Even as they discuss the dangerous mission ahead, people they've lost and even some regrets, Jiraiya still manages to keep the conversation halfway jovial. Having over-wet her appetite for the drink, Jiraiya takes Tsunade into the back alley to vomit up the excess alcohol. Rubbing her soothingly on the back, he speaks

"...let's find some place where you can rest up... C'mon I'll take you to your home"

Not being in a position to object, Tsunade allows Jiraiya to lead her back to the Hokage residence. He carries her inside and seats her on a divan, then he steps back to examine the room and whistles before exclaiming

"Who ever would have guessed any of us would have made it this far?"

"I think our paths to this point may have been laid out before us the day Hanzo dubbed us the Hidden Leaf's Legendary Sannin... hey, would you mind getting me a glass of water while I go brush my teeth? My mouth tastes like someone took a shit in it when I wasn't paying attention"

"Your breath smells like it too"

Jiraiya quips back. Tsunade yanks a sandal off her foot and launches it at his head but her drunkenness causes her to miss as he's already headed to the kitchen. She walks off for the master bath attached to her bedroom at an uneven gait as she steps up on her heeled foot and back down on the opposite bare foot. Jiraiya chuckles to himself catching a glimpse of her humorous stride.

After scrubbing her teeth, she spits the foam into the sink when she hears a knock at her bedroom door.

"Come in Jiraiya! I'm almost done..."

Jiraiya only steps in as far as the sitting area of her spacious bedroom. He listens as she gargles then spits again before she enters the room. Tsunade has taken off her other shoe and her green robe now too. Jiraiya's childhood friend will always be lovely and beautiful to him, especially because she was the one woman he could never attain. The arousal he gets just from seeing more of smooth, fair skin is not unusual to him, but what Tsunade does next is.

Her face is still flushed from the alcohol, and her eyes are half-lidded but more in a seductive manner rather than as an effect of the sake as she approaches him. She stands closer to him than she normally would and it slightly uneases him. The way she looks up into his eyes suggests she's ready to take their friendship farther than it's ever been before. Jiraiya clears his throat

"Um, Tsunade? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine. Really..."

Suddenly she leaps on him and throws her arms and legs around his body while kissing him and pressing her enormous bust into his chest. He is utterly shocked at her behavior and pushes her back.

"TSUNADE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Just what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

"Well! Yes! And No! I mean of all the women I've ever encountered, I want you to want me when you're sober! Not when I can take advantage of you like this!"

"Trust me, if anyone is taking advantage of the other, that person is definitely me."

"But after all this time... are you sure?"

"Yes. Jiraiya, I've accepted that you're leaving on a suicide mission and the most important thing I've learned from everyone I've lost is that there is no time to leave things undone. When we were children it was a game to avoid and dissuade you. After you left on your journey and I fell in love with Dan, there was always a soft spot for you although at the time Dan was my true love. Finally after all these years I realize there is no time left to waste. You're headed off for certain doom and I won't let this one last thing escape me-"

Tsunade doesn't have to speak anymore, Jiraiya reaches under her hair to caress her face with his large, calloused hand. He leans forward to kiss her shortly and sweetly before pulling away to say

"It's slightly morbid, but I wish you wouldn't have waited until my impending death to make your move"

Tsunade laughs lightly, smiles, then says

"All the time up to this point wouldn't have been as fun if I hadn't waited to give in til now..."

She presses in to kiss Jiraiya again, and this time he wraps his arms around her back. He carries her to the bed and she slides her hands into his shirt to start removing it. He breaks their kiss to remove the shirt completely and Tsunade looks at the scars on his body. She tilts her head to one side and tells him

"I'm sorry..."

He knows she referring to the incident from their youth when she nearly killed him, but he just laughs it off

"It was worth it to get to where we are right now"

Jiraiya moves back on top of her and slides a hand under her shirt. When he feels she's moving her arm, he flinches on instinct but is pleasantly surprised when she's only moving to lift off her own shirt. Seeing her completely vulnerable like this sets his arousal on fire, he fills with a passion stemming from youth and he can hardly control himself.

They both succumb to the heat of the moment, and spend a better portion of the early afternoon losing themselves to each other. Sometimes it was fast, sometimes it was slow, it would be hard, and vigorous one moment, then sensual, and tender in the next. The one steady factor was they were creating a moment they would both cherish until the end of their days. Although for one of them the end was arriving much to soon.

With the day burning away all too quickly, they end their session holding each other and wishing the moment wasn't slipping out of their fingers so fast.

As the deep rays of late afternoon seep in through Tsunade's windows, they redress quietly. Before exiting back into the world, Jiraiya scoops her into his arms and holds her tightly. He knows he's never going to get this opportunity again so he tries to use all his senses to memorize her; He admires the gentle features of her face, the softness of her skin, the sound of her voice, the smell of her hair, and the taste of her kiss. Tsunade feels the same way, and as they share that final kiss she fights back the tears and the pain.

Neither of them will delay the inevitable any further and finally they break apart from each other and walk out the door. As they stroll together at the end of the day neither display anymore affection before they find a bench to sit and have one last conversation about the situation at hand. Never having been one to maintain seriousness, Jiraiya keeps a light air. Even as they reminisce together one last time, they can't help smiling no matter how much their hearts ache. The sun touches the horizon and the street lights turn on as they share their final words.

Jiraiya walks off into his twilight without looking back. He offers Tsunade an encouraging gesture and she finally lets the pain slip through.

This isn't how either wanted things to end, but at least now they both can face the end of their days holding onto the little bit of solace they found in each other.


End file.
